Machine for collecting waste metal articles



W. NELESEN.

1,41 6,860 4 Patented May 23, 1922.

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m Z C UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM NELESEN, 0F SHEBOYGAN, WISCONSIN,

MACHINE FOR COLLECTING WASTE METAL ARTICLES.

' Application filed June 15,

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM NELESEN, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Sheboygan, in the county of Sheboygan and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Collecting Waste Metal Articles; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in machines for collecting small articles of metal such as nuts, bolts, screws, tacks and small pieces of scrap metal.

At the present time in most manufacturing plants there is a considerable wastage of small articles of metal which drop upon the floor during the course of a days work and are swept up and thrown away when the plant is cleaned. As a general rule, such metal articles include much that is usable, such as tacks, screws, nuts, bolts and the like so that when such waste continues for a considerable period of time, it is an appreciable loss. Consequently it is the primary object of the invention to provide a machine which can be run over the floor of a factory or the like after the days work and the major' portion of the small waste metal articles collected.

It is a further object to provide such a machine which will be electromagnetically actuated, whereby metal articles are segregated from other waste particles and collected so that they may be readily deposited in a suitable bin or other container.

Still another object is to provide a light, simply constructed and readily operated machine which can be easily propelled by a single operator.

With these and other objects and advantages in view, the invention resides in the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts which will be hereinafter more particularly described and claimed In the accompanying drawing,

Figure 1 represents a substantially horzontal sectional view of the machine, which section is taken on the plane of the line 11 of Figure 3.

Figure 2 is a vertical transverse section on the plane of the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a front elevational view of the machine.

In this drawing I have illustrated but a Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Ma 23, 1922,

1920. Serial No. 389,103.

single embodiment of the invention which is in the nature of a wheeled collector adapted to be pushed about over the floor or ground from which the waste material is to be collected. However, I may so modify the main features of the invention as to in corporate the same in a collector which can be otherwise used than by moving the same over the round or floor. Consequently, it is to be understood that it is within the scope of this invention to make various changes in the form and proportions of the different parts of the invention, without departing from the principlesthereof or sacrificing anly'of the obvious advantages.

eferring more particularly to the drawing, the reference character 1 denotes a suitable support which, in the present instance is in the nature of a casing or housing havin a cover 2 and provided at its rear end ad acent its opposite sides with roller carrying brackets 3. In each of these brackets is journaled a supporting roller or wheel 4 whereby the rear endof the machine. is movably supported on the floor surface. At the front end of the casing 1, or at any other suitable point thereon, is a floor surface engaging castor or roller 5. The method of attaching this roller 5 in the present embodiment consists in journaling same to a vertically slidable supporting plate 6' having a longitudinal slot 7 for the reception of a pair of bolts 8. It will be noticed that the bolts project from the front wall of the casing 1 and when nuts 9 are threaded thereon, the plate 6 is held in adjusted position against said casing.

Within the casing 1 I dispose a plurality of electromagnets 10, in the present instance four beingshown, from which their cores 11 project and are extended through openings in the front wall of said casing after which they are bent downwardly and then laterally as at 12. In other words, the cores of the magnets 10 have substantially right angular nets 10, but through this resistance coil 1 thereby securing a suitable reduction. The current circulates into and out of the casing, 1 through current conducting wires 14. one of which is connected with a snap switch 15.

The casing 1 is propelled by means of a handle 16, at one end of which is a yoke 17. From the several figures of the drawings, it will be seen that the ends of the arms of this yoke 17 are journaled in sockets 18 on the opposite sides or ends of the'casing 1. However, this or any other suitable means may be used for pivotally mounting the handle upon the casing. Also, if desired, the switch 15 can be mounted upon the handle 16 as indicated in Figure 1. lVhen the machine is to be operated, the workman propels the casing over the floor surface, from which the articles are to be collected, by means of the handle 16. After he has turned on the electric current and thus energized the electromagnets 10 and the collecting arms 12 thereof, various metallic articles will be attracted to the latter and held thereon until said magnets are deenergized by cutting ofl the current. In practice, the machine is moved over a designated area until a considerable quantity of metal has been collected on the arms 12. whereupon it is propelled or carried to a suitable storage receptacle into which the collected articles may be deposited. Although the arms 12 are normally placed in close proximity to the floor surface, this distance is readily varied as the result of the means of attaching the single forward supporting roller 5.

I claim:

In a mechanism of the class described, a wheeled support, a housing carried thereby, a removable cover for said housing, a plurality of electro-magnets horizontally disposed within the housing with the cores thereof extending forwardly through the housing, then vertically downwardly and then laterally parallel to the surface over which the device is to be moved, and means for vertically adjusting the forward end of the housin and thereby verticallyadjusting the latera ly extending portions of said cores.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand at Sheboygan, in the county of Sheboygan and State of Wisconsin.

WILLIAM NELESEN. 

